Disability rights perspective
overlooked on Schiavo
Steven Drake and Diane Coleman from "Not Dead Yet" sent an email out raising an important point...
The life-and-death issues surrounding Terri Schindler-Schiavo are first and foremost disability rights issues -- issues which affect tens of thousands of people with disabilities who, like Schiavo, cannot currently articulate their views and so must rely on others as substitute decision-makers.
That's why 26 national disability rights organizations have adopted a position in support of Terri Schiavo's right to continue to receive food and water.
"We applaud Senator Tom Harkin, the long time supporter of the civil rights of people with disabilities, for his insight into the disability issues that underlie this high profile case and for his political courage in working beyond partisanship to uphold our fundamental rights," said Diane Coleman, president and founder of Not Dead Yet.
"Bioethicists like Art Caplan have tried to make this part of the right vs. left culture war," added Not Dead Yet research analyst Stephen Drake, "but that's a shallow and dishonest portrayal of what's going on in our health care system. While he talks about patient choice on TV, Caplan has been advocating futility guidelines that give doctors the authority to overrule family decisions back in Pennsylvania. His hypocrisy has gone unnoticed in the media, where he works to silence the voice of the disability rights community."
For more information:
Contact Diane Coleman and Stephen Drake at (708) 209-1500, ext. 11 & 29, cell (708)
420-0539, or visit www.notdeadyet.org.
Post about this controversial issue
Visit The Strength Coach bulletin board and voice your perspective! We encourage everyone with a disability to post thoughts here so we can add the disability rights perspective to the agenda. If we get enough posts, we can attract the media to this board. Post your comments on the Terri Schiavo situation now. Follow the discussion at http://strengthcoach.proboards22.com
Press Conference/Vigil for Terri
WHEN: Wednesday, March 23, at 8 a.m.
WHERE: US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (same court that heard Olmstead)
56 Forsyth Street, NW, Atlanta, GA, 404-335-6100,
http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov
CONTACTS:
Zan Thornton, 678-358-9540, adaptgazan@mindspring.com
Becky Ramage Tuttle, 404-687-8890, 404-513-0788 (cell), rrtuttle@disabilitylink.org
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